Month: May 2015

The uses for coconut oil are endless… google them! You will be amazed! But for this blog I will just outline the uses that I have experienced for coconut oil!1. It helps to naturally clear up cold sores.2.It can be used to treat a yeast infection.3.A tablespoon taken when pregnant to help baby get fats needed for development.4.To soothe sore nipples when breastfeeding.5.To help prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.6. Great for an alternative to oil or butter in cooking, I use it for stir fry.7.As a coffee creamer when emulsified into coffee, so good!8. As I mentioned in my previous post its anti bacterial properties are amazing on the face to help with acne or breakouts! When used regularly it has been proven to help rid the skin of acne. Used in conjunction with a skin care regime it works wonders. Read mine here..https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDUQiBUwAg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplus.google.com%2F101575042067293069218%2Fposts%2FFS5QZ3yaNmQ&ei=R1lgVdvXEqKa7gbzgoHYCw&usg=AFQjCNEPq1l8ZuwsxKP_3qYm9jsBZUupAg&sig2=dC1nUeENNffvTUteJKVZzA9. All over the skin as a basic moisturiser.10. Nappy Rash cream.11. Eye make-up remover.12. SPF4 sunscreen.13.To help get rid of cradle cap.. massage into babies cradle cap and rinse in their bed time bath as normal.14. Mix with equal parts brown sugar for an all over body exfoliator/scrub.15. Massage oil.16. On your lips as an effective lip balm.17. Put directly onto perineum for relief and help healing after giving birth.18. An amazing conditioner for your hair put on dry hair and then wash as normal.19. Use on psoriasis or eczema on adults and children.20. For breastfeeding moms take 3/4 tablespoons a day to boost milk supply.21. Hubbys can use as a natural shaving cream or lotion.22. Rubbed into the scalp it can stimulate hair growth.23. As a natural lubricant, it doesn’t disturb vaginal flora. Doesn’t cause irritation.24. Mix with equal parts salt to remove dead skin off the feet.25. On its own for cracked heels.26. As a natural baby lotion,27. Can be used internally and externally to treat UTIs.28. Rub on your cuticles to help nail growth.29. Used externally on haemorrhoids.30. Used internally in the ear can help speed up the healing of an ear infection.

After about 18 months of acne on my face and trying most skincare products out there I can FINALLY say it is almost gone!!!! And here’s how…..

When I got pregnant on my second baby, my daughter Noa my skin almost immediately became quiet irritated and my face broke out in acne areas. Not everywhere, usually just on my cheek bones. As a beauty therapist I tried everything I could think of products from phyts, decleor, dermologica and many more. I would never go to bed with my makeup on and my diet wasn’t too bad I couldn’t find a solution and I just gave up looking for one.

After I had Noa it got worse and I thought maybe it was down to breastfeeding her. Over the last few months it’s been at it’s worst and really getting me down. I found Katie a skin guru on Instagram and among a few I emailed her and she got back to me almost immediately. http://instagram.com/thebeautymaidblog

She explained triggers and causes of acne and simple steps I could do to try and improve my acne. I was a little apprehensive at first because I never saw results in anything before but gave it a go. And with the advise of Katie and a few new products I can now for the first time in 18 months see it improving.

Here’s what I did…

1. Cut a lot of sugar and dairy out of my diet!

2. Threw my make up wipes into the bin.

3. Properly cleansed toned and moisturised my face every night.

4. Exfoliate twice/three times a week.

5. Mud mask once a week.

And last change I really think made a huge impact.

6. Moisturise with pure coconut oil every night.

And that is it!!

The redness is still there a little bit but the sore big bumps of acne are gone and I can’t believe it.

The benefits of coconut oil are endless and that will be for another blog, but it’s anti bacterial properties are helping to clear my face for sure.

Exfoliator and mask I am using at the mo is from botanics range in boots and coconut oil I pick up from my local supermarket, Super Value. It’s much cheaper then health food store.

Cleanser is garnier mi cellar water and it is amazing! But I also picked up a tea tree foam wash from lidl that is also amazing! It’s Light and easy!

If you suffer from acne or breakouts I cant stress how much I think that these few changes have helped me and definitely the coconut oil has made such a big difference. Try it! You wont be disappointed!

As a busy mom (or just a busy bee in general?) we all want something to make the day just that little bit easier. So, I thought I would share with you a few little household hacks I have picked up over the last couple of years!

A shelf above the bathroom door!

We have a small bathroom for a house of four! Actually it was a small bathroom even when it was a house of two!! So we have a shelf above the bathroom door to store things we don’t use everyday. It’s great use of space that wouldn’t usually be used. And shelves are really cheap in ikea!

Silver Rods and baskets

Also in the bathroom, and also from ikea silver rods and baskets are also great for storage in a small bathroom!

Binder clips!

Use binder clips to keep your wires or chargers from getting lost down the back of a desk or a dresser. So simple and so neat!

Microwave Cleaner

Microwave water and lemons for 5 mins. Let them steam! And then wipe away a spotless microwave!

Odd socks??

Fear no more.. Use washable mesh bags and get each family member one! Pop the dirty socks into them! Zip it up and into the washing machine! No more lost socks!!

Sweet smelling bathroom!

This is a little trick I started in my salon and now have moved into my home too! Where u have kitchen roll couch roll or toilet till sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on the inside of the roll and there u go a beautiful smelling room until the roll needs replacing! My favourite is lavender or mandarin essential oil!

So I am such a sucker for sticking with what I know. Since I was 17 I’ve used MAC brushes. I’ve always loved them and they always did the trick, but I’ve always wanted to find an alternative. With two kids a husband and a house, my once loved MAC brushes are pretty low on the list of priorities!

I saw the crown brush brand first when another Irish blogger so sue me put her name to a range of them. But as a sceptic, I wondered how much of her opinion was biased now being on the payroll!

So I thought what’s the harm I’ll give them a go! They aren’t too expensive ranging from €3 upwards! I bought an angled liner/brow brush, a concealer brush and two contour brushes! Delivery took just two days which was great! So I got down to it! I don’t know about you ladies, but for me I know if I like something straight away! I am a huge believer in your gut and I apply that to all aspects of life (even beauty products!) so I popped some concealer on the brush and began to put it on. Straight away I was impressed. The brushes are heaver than I expected. About the same as MAC I don’t know why I expected lighter but they’re not. They’re sturdy. As soon as I applied I knew what so sue me says about them is true! They are really worth every penny! I tried all the brushes and have been using them since and I have to say I was truly impressed. They make the job so easy and are worth every cent I spent on them! For me as a working mum of two I need something that does what it’s meant to do and is cheap, effective and most of all makes my life easier!! Love the brushes, love the price, love the quality. I would highly recommend them to a friend and if you haven’t tried them already you should.

My next review will be on the foundation and some powder blender and blusher brushes but I am confident these will live up to my expectations! Stay tuned ladies!

I had been hearing a lot of things about makeup revolution at superdrug, how their eyeshadow pallete is a dupe for the naked pallete.. So I thought I would try for myself. I picked up their contour pallete, mascara and a nude lipstick.

Firstly, it’s so cheap about €13 for the lot but at the end of the day it’s still €13 you could be putting towards something actually worth your hard earned money.

So firstly the mascara,

this was about €3/€4 and initially when I put it on I thought wow really lengthened my lashes and thought could this be too good to be true? I was right!! It takes forever to dry ending up with it all over your face.. So by the time u finished cleaning the black mess all around your eyes.. It’s not even worth it! Doesn’t last very long and my mum tried it too and it looked as if she hasn’t even applied mascara at all. It’s not even worth the €3/€4 I paid for it! Don’t waste your money on this!!

The lipstick

Makeup revolutions lipstick was a little better than the mascara again it retails at €1.49 so what can you expect right?! But if it’s not fit for purpose what’s the point in buying it at all. Again goes on nice the coulours are great but it just doesn’t last. It’s very thinly based and in 15 mins I will be reapplying it. Again cheap as chips but you might as well be throwing your €1.49 down the drain! Again wouldn’t recommend this!

The contour pallete

After using this for the last couple of weeks I have to say the jury is still out. This shade is the light to medium and retails for €7.99. It goes on great, nice and creamy and blends very well but again with their other products it just doesn’t have that long lasting effect I have experienced with other brands. It is nice for everyday quite natural contour but definitely not for a dramatic contoured effect. There are too many highlight colours and not enough contour in my opinion and after two weeks my darkest colour is almost gone. For every day use as a natural look I give this 5/10 but for night time or more dramatic 2/10. Price is Defo right on all these products but the just fall a little below average for me.

I’ve gotten a few emails about things I use to keep Noa entertained and little bits that she is loving at the mo so thought id do a little blog post and let u all know! Noa is 8 months at the moment!

Sophie the giraffe!

Ah Sophie, this is a favourite in our house! (Although we all her zu zu) Noa has loved this id say for the last 5 months and loves it just as much now as she did when we first gave it to her at about 3 months old! When our 5 year old had his my mums dog mollie (miniature terrier) stole his as she was a pup and loved it for teething! Now almost 6 years on she hounds Noa for hers… So we always keep a very close eye on zu zu when we are in nanas!! A favourite amoung babies and puppies in our house! Sophie is lightweight and easy to grasp! It is painted with non-toxic food grade paint and it’s little squeak awakens Noa’s sences! Sophie is made with soft natural rubber which is great for her to chew on and really gives her great teething relief!

Stacking cups!

These are great! Great for hand eye co ordination! Great for hiding little thing in and having her find it and great for using as sensory cups too putting some pasta in one some large buttons in another and some felt balls in another etc… These are €8.99 from mothercare!

Tamberine and maracas!

These at the mo are by far one of Noas favourites and these cost me €1.49 in dealz!! She loves making noise with them! She loves watching ppl sing and dance with them and loves showing them to other people when we are out! Well worth a trip to dealz for these!!

Stacking Blocks!

Like the stacking cups these are great for hand eye co ordination! Small and perfect for tiny hands. On the top of each on is a different texture and colour which really catches her eye! These are €13.99, again from mothercare!

Rain Maker!

This one is from mothercare €8.99 and really fun, it always catches her attention straight away with the sound of all the little balls inside! They are multicoloured too which keeps her watching!

Play mats!

These playmats are from penny’s! €8 for a pack of 10 numbers 0-9! I bought 3 and that covers a reasonable amount of floor space for her! **** a little mommy tip that I do is I use the little bag they come in to bring all Noa belles things in when we are heading somewhere for the day they’re perfect! ****